Cooling air flow adjustable lover for heat exchange housing



Aug. 29, 1961 Filed Aug. 7, 195e R. C. SNYDER ET AL COOLING AIR FLOWADJUSTABLE LOUVER FOR HEAT EXCHANGE HOUSING 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. IA

IN V EN TORS :7b RUSSEL C. SNYDER 8: RONALD E. P RTEE BY gldj mATTORNEYS Aug. 29, 1961 R. c. SNYDER ETAL COOLING AIR mow ADJUSTABLELOUVERAFOR HEAT EXCHANGE HOUSING 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 7, 1958INVENTORS RUSSEL C. SNYDER a BY RONALD E. PARTEE Yagi QCA/adi FIG. 3

ATTORNEYS ug- 29, 1961 R. c. SNYDER E-r AL 2,997,939

COOLING AIR FLOW ADJUSTABLE LOUVER FOR HEAT EXCHANGE HOUSING Flled Aug7, 1958 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 FIG. 4

FIG. 5

INVENTORS RUSSEL C. SNYDER 8| RONALD E. PARTEE BY ATTORNEYS 2 997,939COOLING AIR FLOW ADJUSTABLE LOUVER FOR HEAT EXCHANGE HOUSING Russel C.Snyder, Mansfield, and Ronald E. Partee,

Shelby, Ohio, assignors to Mansfield Metal Fabricating,

Inc., Mansfield, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Filed Aug. 7, 1958, ser.No. 753,811 3 Claims. (Cl. 98-110) The invention relates generally tohousings having controlled air circulation for cooling compressors,engines and the like, and more particularly to housings havingadjustable louvers for regulating the circulating In compressor stationsfor gas pipe lines, for example, cooling towers are provided for housingcooling 1in units for the compressors, and these housings haveadjustable louvers for admitting a controlled amount of outside air.Similarly, cooling units for diesel engines yare provided with louveredhousings admitting outside air, and the louvers are operated by means ofthermostatic controls to adjust the air flow because it is veryimportant to maintain a substantially constant temperature within thehousing.

In certain prior constructions, the linkages for oper-ating the louvershave been located on the exterior of the housing where they are exposedto the weather, and corrosion results, interfering with eicientoperation of the louvers. Moreover, maintenance of the louvers hasinvolved frequent painting to prevent corrosion, and this inevitablyresults in dropping paint on the fins of the housed cooling units whichreduces their cooling efliciency.

An important object of the present invention is Ito provide an improvedlouvered housing construction in which the operating linkages `aresubstantially enclosed and protected by the housing.

Another object is to provide a lightweight louver construction whichoffers a minimum of resistance to air flow.

A further object is to provide a simple and economical cooling housingwhich is easily operated, requires little maintenance, and overcomes thedisadvantages of prior constructions.

These, and other objects which will appear from the followingdescription, are accomplished bythe improvements comprising the presentinvention, a preferred embodiment of which is shown by way of example inthe accompanying drawings and described in detail herein. Variousmodifications and changes in details of construction are intended to beincluded within the scope of the invention as defined in the appendedclaims.

In the drawings:

FIGS. 1 and 1A are sectional views through a louvered housing embodyingthe invention, FIG. 1A 'being a continuation of FIG. 1 from the linea-b, and the louvers being shown in closed position.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary bottom plan View thereof.

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 1, showing the louvers in full openposition.

FIG. 4 is a transverse section on line 4-4 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a transverse section on line 5-5 of FIG. l.

The housing shown in the drawings has end walls and 11 and side walls 12and 13 forming a rectangular` frame which is arranged to be closed onone side by a series of louvers 14. Preferably, the side and end walls10, 11, 12 and 13 are substantially channel-shaped in cross section,having outturned flanges 15 adjacent the louvers, and flanges 16 on theside of the frame opposite to the louvers for mounting the housing onthe exterior of a cooling tower and the like (not shown).

The louvers 14 are preferably of extruded aluminum and extendtransversely of the frame in overlapping relation when closed. Eachlouver has a central hub 17 which extends the entire length of saidlouver, and renited States PatientY Patented Aug. 29, 1961 ice verselycurved vanes 18 and 19 extending in opposite directions therefrom. Thevane 18 has an upturned angl-llar flange 20 Ialong its outer edge, andthe vane 19 has a downturned ange 21 along its outer edge foroverlapping the ange 20 of the adjacent louver in closed position. Asshown, a second ange 21 may be provided parallel to and spaced a shortdistance from flange 21 for mounting a conventional sealing strip offelt or the like (not shown) between anges 21 and 21.

'llhe combination of the hub and the reverse curve construction of thevanes 18 and 19 extending in opposite directions from the hub provides arigidied construction which enables the use of lightweight aluminum withedge -ilanges 20 and 21 of minimum width, thus presenting a minimumoverall thickness and resistance to air flow when the louvers are inopen position.

At each end the hubs 17 of the vanes are pivotally mounted in the sidewalls 12 and 13 of the frame by means of pivot pins 22 screwed in theends of the hubs and journaled in sleeve bearings 23 preferably of nylonset in the sidewalls, as shown in FIG. 5. 'I'he side walls 12 and 134are rigidly connected together in spaced relation by tubular upper andlower cross braces 24 having screw studs 25 extending through the wallsand threaded into said tubular braces.

The mechanism for controlling the opening and closing of the louvers inunison preferably includes a control bar extending lengthwise of theframe along the exterior of one side wall, and may be a channel bar 26extending along the outside of frame side wall 12. Adjacent to the frameend wal-l 11, the control bar 26 is pivotally connected by means of -alever arm 27 to the end of a torque shaft 28 extending transverselythrough the frame under the louvers and journaled in the frame sidewalls.

Similarly, the other end of the control bar is pivotally connected by -alever arm 29 to a torque Ashaft 30 extending transversely through theframe under the louvers. The shafts 28 and 30 are journaled inconventional nylon sleeve bearings (not shown) in the side walls andhave shaft collars 31 and 32 on opposite sides of the bearings, as shownin FIGS. 2 and 4. The lever arm 29 extends beyond the control bar 26 andis pivotally connected to an operating rod 33 which may be actuated bychanges in temperature within the cooling units in a well-known mannerso as -to automatically open and close the louvers regulating the airflow into and out of the housing.

'Ihe torque shafts 28 and 30 are connected to one edge of the endlouvers which lie immediately above the respective shafts by lever arms34 secured to the shafts and links 35 pivoted to the arms 34. The links35 are preferably angled and pivoted to bracket ears 36 on one edge ofthe end louvers. Similar bracket ears 36 on intermediate louvers arepivoted to operating bars 37 for operatively connecting the intermediatelouvers, and offset links 38 pass Aaround the upper braces 24 andoperatively interconnect the operating bars 37 and the link 35 which isadjacent wall 10. Thus, when the torque shafts 28 and 30 are rotated bymovement of the control bar 26 al1 of the louvers 14 are moved in unisonbetween the closed position of FIG. 1 and the open position of FIG. 3.

Accordingly, -all of the louver operating linkage including the leverarms 34, links 35, and bars 37 and 38, is located under the louvers 14in closed or partly closed position so as to be protected from theelements, and minimize corrosion and maintenance. -End closure plates 39and 40 are secured to the end walls 10 and 11, respectively, tocooperate with the end louvers in closed position and completely closethe frame opening. Moreover, the use of aluminum louvers eliminates theneed for painting to prevent corrosion with consequent elimination ofdropping paint on the cooling ns within the housing to reduce theireieiency. The use of nylon bearings for 3 the torque shafts and louverseliminates fther need for lubrication and maintenance at those points.

As clearly shown in FIG. 3, the design of the louvers, with!theirreverse curves and shallow angesg provides' a minimum ofrestriction of air flow while providinga structurally strong louverwhich can-be made out'of light'- weight aluminum.

Whatisclaimed is:

1-.V Air ilow control construction yfor/cooling housing, having anopenframe provided with al pair of spaced apart opposedY side Walls, a`series of overlapping louvers mounted in the opposed side Walls of theframe and' adapted for opening and closing movement, transverse torqueshafts extending between said side walls, lever arms on said shafts, acontrolV bar, additional lever arms on said shafts operatively connectedto saidcontrol bar, linkage means within said iframel operativelyconnecting the iirst said lever arms to the undersidesof saidY louversYfor operating them in unison, each, of said louvers havingacentra'l hubVextending the'- entire length thereof, reversely curved vanes extendinginv opposite directions from' said hub, reversely turned anges on theouter edges of said vanes for overlapping similar flanges on adjoininglou-vers in' closed position and meanspivotally mounting said hub;

Y2. Air ow control construction for av cooling housingA having an open@frame provided With a pairj of spaced apart opposed side walls, aseries ofV overlapping louvers' pivotally mounted at their ends in saidside walls andY adapted for opening and closing movement, transversetorque shafts mounted'for rotation between. said side Walls under saidlouvers, lever arms on said shafts, angled links operatively connectingthe endv louvers of said series 't0 said lever arms,voperating barsconnected to intermediate: leuvers of said seriesV and to saidl angledlinks, oiset linksV interconnecting said operating bars, a control baroperatively connected to said torque shaftsV exteriorly of saidv framefor rotating said shafts in unison to pivotally move said louvers, andmeans for operating said control bar.

3. Air ow control construction for a cooling housing having an openframe provided with a pair of spaced apart oppositely disposedside-walls a series of overlaping louvers mounted in said side walls andadapted for opening and closing movement, transverse torque shaftsmounted for rotation between said side Walls under said louvers, crossbraces extending.Y between said sidewalls under said louvers, lever armson said shafts, angled links connecting the end louversof Said series tosaid lever arms, operating bars connected to intermediate louvers ofsaid series andY to said angled links, otset links passing aroundsaidcross' braces and interconnecting said operatingl bars, said louverseach having'a central hub, means'. pivotally lmounting said hubin saidopposite side Walls,rreverse1y curvedvanes extending in opposite'rdirections from saidhub, reversely turned flanges on the; outeredges-of. said vanes yfor overlapping similar'flanges on adjoininglouvers in closing position, a control bar opera tively connected tosaid torque shafts exteriorly ,of said frame for rotatingV said 4torqueshafts inunison to pivotally move said louvers, and means for operatingsaid control bar.

References'citea in the fue of this'patent Y UNITED srArns PATENTS OTHERREFERENCES Construction Specialties, Inc., 261 Jelliif Avenue, Newark,NJ., copyright 1954'. Catalogue AIA File No. 14B-4 1955,. page.

